Button Up, Baby
An in-between layer for in-between seasons.
Hello Earthlings!
Last night I had dinner with one of my best babes, Tom. We were in sweet sweet Greenpoint (Brooklyn), which is a neighborhood with an abundance of FUN ACTIVITIES, including but not limited to one official New York pastime— People Watching. Which meant that 3 minutes after he entered the restaurant, Tom Had Some Questions. In this case, the big Q centered on what the boys of Gpoint had pulled out of their Ikea standing wardrobes to wear to dinner that night. I’m going to paraphrase here, but the recipe on one particular pedestrian went something like:
“curly mustache, North Face half zipped, no shirt, daisy dukes, black ankle boots, and white tube socks.”
To which I replied:
“Transitional dressing is hard!”
And it is hard! Listen, I didn’t see the look in person, it might have been a vibe. But the no-shirt-North-Face combo, if nothing else, is a pretty good signal that the Equinox has come and gone and EARLY FALL has arrived. And I think no matter where you live, due to climate change, we the people are experiencing some erratic temperatures. It’s hot, then it’s cold, it’s wet, or it’s muggy, and, once you trek through whatever it is, the moment you step inside you know that AC will be PUMPING. We’re dressing for battle! And I’m here to suggest just one option, styled a few ways, if you’re seeking some armor for these wild and whacko times:
I KNOW, I know, a button up is not exactly groundbreaking. [And YES, this is a button up, says this nice, slightly out of breath (???) gentleman on YouTube.] In fact, there was a time in my life where I would have breezed right by a shirt like this.
But okay humor me for one sec!, while I extol the specific virtues of the short-sleeved, light-to-mid-weight, men’s* button up shirt.
Example A: Physically Fit. (see what I did there?)
The addition of the shirt makes the pilates fit into an actual fit. I would wear this after a low-key sweat sesh— to a brewery, or a chill-outdoor-lunch— and not feel like a full on animal.
Example B! Schmancy Yancy.
Slightly nicer version of the shirt, but same application— here we dress down an otherwise fancy moment for a funky (but casual!) Monday night dinner date.
It gives a little bit of chill, “oh, this?” vibes to whatever you’ve styled underneath, no?
Example C. Same Lil’ Dress, Styled Up Or Down:
Some light layering! Some good contrast!
BONUS: the size/weight of the fabric makes for a tidy little roll up you can throw in a bag if you want to let those wings fly free! And if you are like, “Wut, Yancy, are you for real telling me that entire shirt fits in that teeny little green bag?”
Yes, Janet. I am very much for real.
Example D: Faux Suiting.
In this case, because the pants were also blue, here we are giving the vibe of a set, without actually wearing a suit.
And you may not believe me, but it actually does provide some warmth in the case of an unhinged AC unit! I tested this out myself! Would I lie to you?!
Your Turn!
I am thinking many of us already have a version of this in the ol’ closet? Or possess a friend in our lives who might be willing to do us a solid and loan us a shirt for the sake of experimentation? But if not!, and you feel like trying out this vibe, let me tell you it can be done on the cheap. The more causal of these two short-sleeved beauties I bought at a Goodwill this summer for THREE whole dollars. Okay? I paid $6 for a latte yesterday. That’s two shirts.
If you do decide to thrift one for yourself, my personal recommendation is to aim for a unisex, slightly oversized fit. Feel the fabric, ask yourself if it makes you feel easy and breezy. Like a suburban zaddy on vacation. Your personal style vibes are not giving suburban dad you say? Well it’s the contrast that makes this one fun! I think it works BEST if the under layers are a little sexy, or a little funky, or otherwise giving some tension to what on the hanger is a pretty simple item of clothing.
So. Go forth and mix it up. And let me know how it goes? Can’t wait to see what you cook up. <3
*I dream of the day when clothes are no longer split by gender assignments, but right now, since they are, I am using this descriptor mainly as geographical indicator (as in, where to find an item in a store).
Costume Change is a styling newsletter (vs. a shopping newsletter). Many posts will not include clothing “credits”— but I’m happy to share in the comments, HMU!
Any links to clothing items, etc. that do appear in my writing are purely my honest to goodness recommendations. If we (ever) enter spon-con territory, those recs will be clearly marked as such. Thanks for reading, and reminder to keep those comments kind!